So Close
by AngeXaime
Summary: What is going to happen after Tony, McGee, and Ziva are reassigned? There's a new girl in town and she has news for Gibbs that will change his life forever and also will bring Tony and Ziva closer together. * * * * COMPLETED * * * *
1. Introduction

**_I do not own these characters._**

_**Blah, Blah, you know the rest :)**_

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After the news of Tony, Ziva, and McGee's reassignments, they were all upset and wanted answers

After the news of Tony, Ziva, and McGee's reassignments, they were all upset and wanted answers. Why were they being reassigned? Though, deep down, Gibbs knew the answer, he wasn't ready to give up on his team. His family.

"How can he do this?" Abby asked, almost in tears at the thought of losing the _entire_ team that she grew to love more than anything.

"He's the director. He can do what he wants." McGee replied as he sat with Abby in her lab.

"First we lose Kate, then Director Shepard, now…" She couldn't finish her sentence before she started to choke up.

"I know. It's…" McGee was cut off by his ex-boss.

"It's wrong. I'm not going to let this happen. Not now." Gibbs said, slightly softer than what everyone was used to.

"Gibbs…" Abby said as she latched herself onto him. "He can't take them away." She cried.

"Shh, Abs..." He whispered. "Have I ever given up in a fight?" He said as he pulled her away from him. "They aren't going anywhere. Not if I can help it." He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"There is nothing that can be done. We all know it. It's time to accept it." Ziva said as she walked into the lab to see her colleagues for the last time. She set her box of belongings down and walked over to Gibbs.

"Ziva!" Abby cried.

"Ziva, she just doesn't want to see us go." McGee replied quietly.

"I don't want to leave but, how can we fight _him_." She said turning to Gibbs. "There's nothing we can do, is there?"

"I…" Gibbs started to speak but cut himself off, not wanting to give false hope to the woman he grew to love like a daughter. "I don't know. I'm not going to give up, though. I can't let you go back to Mossad. Not after…" Stopping himself, he looked her in the eyes. Instantly, Ziva knew what he was going to say.

"Well," Ziva started to speak. "I should probably go back t-" She turned to walk out the room when suddenly there was an extremely loud gunshot. They all took cover.

"What was that?" Gibbs asked, looking around at the people who grew to love as if they were his family.

"We're fine." McGee whispered as he shielded Abby.

"Ziva?" Gibbs asked, looking around the room trying to find her. "Ziva?!" He cried.

"Boss!" Tony cried from the hallway.

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**I will be continuing as soon as possible :) **

**Reviews are appreciated )**

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	2. The Footage

_**I do not own these characters.**_

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Gibbs came running out into the hall way, gun in hand, only to find Ziva lying almost lifeless in Tony's arms.

"McGee! Call for help." He yelled as he ran over to check the wounds.

"On it, Boss." McGee replied.

"Ziva, c'mon. You can't do this. Not now." Gibbs whispered to himself as he applied pressure to the gunshot wound to her chest. "Abby, get Duck up here." He demanded.

"Sure." Abby replied.

After what seemed like ages, Ducky kneeled down next to his friend and examined the wounds.

"Duck, is she going to be alright?" Gibbs asked. There was a very long pause, or what seemed like one.

"Jethro," Ducky started to talk but, he couldn't find the words. "The wound is extensive. It looks as though the gun shot hit her pulmonary artery. Which mea-"

"Duck! Is she going to be alright?" He asked angrily.

"I don't know, Jethro. Her pulse is weakening but it's still there." Duck said softly.

"DiNozzo, when the paramedics get here, you go with her. Call me as soon as you get the news." Gibbs said loudly as he walked to the elevator.

Tony didn't reply. He just held her, holding back tears.

Shortly after Gibbs left, the paramedics appeared, taking her to Bethesda. Tony got in the truck with her, just as he was ordered to do. He looked back and saw McGee and Abby watching them leave. Abby was in tears and McGee was trying to comfort her. It broke Tony's heart to see them like this.

The waiting room was terrible. Tony didn't know what to do to pass the time before the doctor came out to tell him her status. He was lost in thought. _What if she doesn't survive? What am I going to do? She's my partner no matter what Director Vance says. _He thought to himself when suddenly his thoughts were interrupted.

"Special Agent DiNozzo?" The nurse asked.

"Yeah?" He stood up immediately, hoping to know more information about Ziva's condition.

"The doctor would like to talk to you." She said as she pointed in the direction of the doctor.

"Alright," He replied, quickly walking over to the doctor. "Is she alright?" He asked.

"She's going to be fine. However," He continued. "She's going to have to take some time off from work. It's hard to say what sort of damage the gunshot actually did."

"Can I see her?" He asked, almost as if he completely ignored everything the doctor said after _'She's going to be fine.'_

"Of course. She's in room 301." The doctor said looking up from his clipboard to see Tony already walking down the hall to her room.

* * *

"McGee," Gibbs yelled. "Any luck with the surveillance camera footage?"

"I'm looking, Boss." McGee replied.

"Look faster." Gibbs demanded.

"Last time I checked," a well-hated voice started to speak. "McGee isn't on your team any longer, Gibbs."

"This case was opened before their deadline for this team. Therefore," Gibbs said as he walked over to Director Vance. "Until this case is solved, they are _still_ my team."

"You're walking a very thin line, Gibbs." Vance said angrily as he stood only inches away from Gibbs.

Gibbs didn't reply. All he did was stand there, staring into the cold, dark eyes of the man who tore their team apart. The silence was killing McGee but he knew better than to get involved. Suddenly, he looked at his computer screen only to be confused but worried at the same time.

"Um, Boss." McGee said.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked, never leaving the Director's face.

"You might want to come see this." McGee urged. Looking at the surveillance footage, his face went flush. Gibbs walked over to the monitor and his face went from his stern and strict expression to worried and confused.

"What is it, Gibbs?" Vance asked.

"The person who shot Ziva." Gibbs said quietly.

"That would be….?" Vance urged the answer but there wasn't a reply. "Gibbs!" Vance ordered when he walked over to the monitor to see for himself. "Isn't that..." Vance cut himself off.

All three of the men looked at each other, confused.

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**More should be added later today, not too sure though. **

**Reviews are appreciated :)**

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	3. The Return

_**I do not own these characters. **_

_**Blah, Blah you know the rest**_

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"_That would be….?" Vance urged the answer but there wasn't a reply. "Gibbs!" Vance ordered when he walked over to the monitor to see for himself. "How is this possible?" Vance asked._

_All three of the men looked at each other, confused._

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"Son of a bitch!" Gibbs yelled as he slammed his fist on the desk. "McGee, find out what you can. Call me ASAP." Gibbs ran to the elevator leaving the Director and McGee and headed for the hospital.

"DiNozzo, do _not_ let anyone in Ziva's room. Do I make myself clear?" He screamed.

"Yes, Boss. What's wrong?" DiNozzo asked.

"Just do what I say! I'm on my way." Gibbs said frustrated.

Before Tony could ask another question, he heard the dial tone. _Why was this so important? Ziva had to have friends outside of NCIS. Didn't she?_ He thought to himself causing a slight smile. "Who am I kidding?" He said quietly.

"I am glad this could make you smile." Ziva said very gently, trying to sit up.

"Shhh, don't try to sit up, Zee-vah." Tony said calmly as he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her with that _'DiNozzo Smile'_ that could normally stop any girl in her tracks.

"Oh, do not tell me what to do. Someone shot me, Tony! I can't just lay here and do nothing." She cried and began to get up.

"Ziva, that's exactly what you're going to do. Leave the rest up to us." He said compassionately. He ran his hand sofly down her arms, looking into her eyes and placing one hand on the side of her face. "Just relax. Please."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Gibbs said as he stormed into the room and gave a cup of coffee to Tony.

"Uh, Nope. I was just telling Ziv-"

"I don't care what you were telling her. I really don't want to know." Gibbs walked over to the side of the bed that Ziva was now laying on. "We know who shot you."

"I figured you would figure it out quickly." Ziva said sheepishly.

"Who?" Tony asked.

"I don't know why you wouldn't have told me, Ziva." Gibbs said angrily.

"I couldn't. If I did, he would have killed all of us." She continued. "I was not going to risk all of your lives." She quickly looked at Tony. Her eyes almost swelled up in tears.

"Who shot her, Boss?" Tony asked again.

"That was incredibly stupid, David. You almost lost your own life protecting him." He said sternly but his voice cracked a little.

"Wow, I guess I'm just invisible. I could probably sit here and talk about how bad I want a pizza and neither of you would notice. Or how I-"

"Shut up, Tony!" They both yelled at the same time.

"Me-ow. Now, tell me who shot her or I'll just keep going on with pointless information." Tony tried to lighten up the mood. His number one concern was that Ziva, his partner, was still alive.

"Ari." Ziva said quietly.

"What? How is that possible?" Tony looked confused.

"That's what I would like to know." Gibbs said, looking at Ziva. "Spill."

"Alright," Ziva sighed and started to tell them what really happened.

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"McGeeee!" Abby came running out of the elevator to his desk. "McGee, McGee!"

"Yes, Abby?" He said, trying to hold back a smile but he didn't want to seem like he was taking the whole situation lightly. The last thing he wanted was to upset Abby.

"I found something wedged between the elevator when I was coming up to see you." She handed him an unopened letter that was addressed to Gibbs.

"Thanks, I'll call him now." He replied, taking the letter and dialing his cell phone.

"Boss," McGee said. "Abby found a letter in the elevator that was addressed to you. No return address just '_Gibbs'_ written on it."

"Open it." Gibbs replied. "Carefully."

"Are you sure? I mean, it is your mail and I-"

"Open it, McGee!" Gibbs demanded.

"Alright," he opened the letter and began to read it to himself.

"McGee, read it out loud." Gibbs said with a sigh.

"Right, Boss." McGee said. "It says:

_Gibbs,_

_By now you know that I am still alive. Which is a shame for you. It just means I'm that_

_Much closer to ruining your life. Starting with the one person that you trusted your life _

_With. It's a shame, isn't it? Knowing that Ziva, your team mate, stabbed you in the_

_Back. I wonder who is next?_

_Your friend,_

_Ari"_

"None of you leave the building. Go somewhere safe." Gibbs demanded.

"What is it, Boss?" Tony asked as he sat next to Ziva.

"That son of a bitch is going to die. For real this time." Gibbs said, giving Ziva a very angry look. "Tony, with me."

"But, Boss…" Tony said looking at Ziva.

"There are other agents coming to stay with her. You are with me." Gibbs ordered. "Now, DiNozzo!"

"C-coming Boss," Tony said, confused at the order. "Be safe, Ziva. I'm going to get this guy. For real this time. He already got one team member, he won't get another. If you need me, you know where I'll be." He said as he leaned down over her and kissed the top of her head. He left the room, not looking at what her reaction was to the kiss.

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**I'll try to add more today. However, I need to sort my thoughts. P **

**Reviews are appreciated**

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	4. The Changes

_**I do not own Tony, Ziva, McGee, Abby, Gibbs or Director Vance.**_

_**I'm sure you already know that.**_

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After hours of trying to find where Ari would be, McGee and Tony were exhausted but they weren't going to give up.

"Anything yet, McGeek?" Tony asked as he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on his desk.

"Nothing." McGee replied with a sigh.

Tony stared at him almost as though he was trying to be Gibbs, like he was trying to intimidate him.

"Tony," McGee turned and looked at him. "Do you have something in your eye?"

"Ha-Ha, very funny." Tony said sarcastically. "Why is this so difficult?" Tony cried as he hit his head on his desk. Suddenly he felt a familiar slap to the back of his head. "Hi, Boss."

"While you're _resting_, Ari is trying to kill one of you and has put Ziva in the hospital." Gibbs complained. "Get to work."

"On it, Boss." Tony replied.

"Gibbs!" Vance yelled from his office area. "I need to speak with you."

Gibbs got up and looked at Tony, almost as though he was telling him to watch his back.

"What is it, Vance?" Gibbs asked irritated.

"There's a young woman in my office." Vance said.

"Not my business, Vance." Gibbs turned to walk away.

"Very funny. But," Vance searched for the words. "Come in, please."

Gibbs looked strangely at the Director. _'Please?' _he thought _'This must be important.'_ He walked into his office to find a slightly familiar young woman sitting on the couch.

"Gibbs," Vance motioned to sit. "I know this is difficult. However, you need to have another temporary team mate until this is solved." He searched Gibbs' face for a sign of emotion but found nothing but his usual expression. "This is Special Agent Juliana Callister."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Special Agent Gibbs. I've heard a lot about you." The blonde said standing and extending her hand. "I'm sure this isn't going to be easy for you and I'm sorry for what has happened to Ziva."

Gibbs stood and took her hand. Normally he wouldn't do that. He'd storm out and say it wasn't going to happen. For some reason, however, it seemed as though he knew the tall, athletic, blue eyed blonde.

"I had no choice, Gibbs." Vance said. "I've also witnessed how well you all work together and I'm deciding to take back their reassignments."

"Good." Gibbs said, not leaving the eyes of Juliana. "Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked her.

She didn't answer.

"Now, go find Ari and tell McGee and DiNozzo the good news." Vance finished and walked out of his office.

"Where should I start?" Juliana asked, feeling very uncomfortable with him staring at her.

They both walked out of the room and down to the desks.

"You can sit here until Ziva is back. Don't mess with her stuff, though." Gibbs motioned to the empty desk.

"Um, Boss? Who is this?" Tony asked.

"This is your temporary partner, DiNozzo." Gibbs said loudly as he walked to the elevator.

"Hi, I'm Juliana Callister." She smiled and sat at the desk.

"Right," Tony replied as he checked her out. "Not bad." He said quietly.

"Excuse me?" She looked at him confused.

"Nothing." Tony went back to work.

"So what do we have so far?" She asked.

"Well," McGee started to speak but was rudely cut off by Tony.

"Well," Tony said loudly and glared at McGee. "The person who shot Ziva is-"

"Ari Haswari." She finished his sentence and continued to look at the computer screen.

"Yes," He replied "We _thought_ he was dead. Seeing as how Ziva went to his funeral a few years ago but, we were wrong." Tony stood up and walked to her desk. "The person Ziva shot wasn't Ari at all. It was his _twin_, Najair Haswari."

"No offence but shouldn't she have been able to tell them apart?" Juliana asked, making eye contact with Tony. "Yes, she did know." Tony said with a sarcastic smile.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would she do that and then expect it not to blow up in her face later? If anything," Juliana scooted closer to Tony, almost as if she was flirting with him. "Shouldn't it show that she hides things from the people she calls family?"

"I'm not finished." Tony said smiling at her again. "Earlier that night, Ari told Ziva that if she didn't act as though she had killed him, he would make sure that he came back and killed everyone. Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, and Myself." He turned from her and walked to his desk. "Then he would kill her."

"I see," Juliana watched as Tony's body language showed that the idea of Ziva dying really bothered him.

The awkward silence was interrupted.

"Got something." McGee yelled. "Someone just called in a report of seeing Ari."

"Where?" DiNozzo said as he ran over to McGee's computer to read the address. "Call Gibbs."

"Where are you going, DiNozzo?" Juliana asked.

"To get Ari." Tony said as he gathered his things and headed toward the elevator. "You're coming with me, Miss Probie." He smiled at her.

* * *

They stood in the elevator side by side.

"You really care about Ziva, don't you?" She asked.

"She's my partner." Tony said stiffly. "Of course I do."

" I don't mean like that, I mea-"

Suddenly the elevator stopped.

"Listen to me," Tony said turning to his blue – eyed, temporary partner. "You've been here for what, three hours?" He moved closer to her. "You don't see me asking you questions about your personal life. So, unless you want to do desk work, stop asking questions." He was no more than two inches from her face.

"The longer you try to brow beat me into intimidation, the quicker he's going to get away." Her sassy reply caught him off guard. He couldn't stop himself from letting a smile out as he turned away.

Then both gathered themselves and headed out the elevator to the car.

* * *

Juliana sat in silence. She wanted to ask him more questions. She knew it would upset him. _'How dare he speak to me like I'm some child.'_ She thought to herself. _'Though, it was sort of…'_

Suddenly her thoughts flew out the window as she saw a man with a gun in the back seat of the car. Holding the gun to the back of her head, Tony went to reach for his.

"I wouldn't do that, Agent DiNozzo." Ari crept from the shadows with his infamous, dark, and cold grin plastered on his face. "Unless you _want_ to see Special Agent Callister's brains all over your windshield."

"What do you want, Ari?" Tony asked as he watched Juliana's expression stay steady and calm.

"Gibbs." He replied. "I just want Gibbs and I'll let everyone else live at peace." He said as he got only inches away from Juliana's ear and nibbled her ear and slowly ran his gun down the side of her face. "Even Ziva." He turned and looked at Tony, his eyes as cold as ice. "Do you think you can do that for me, Agent DiNozzo?" He asked as he locked his gun on Juliana's temple.

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**More will be added very soon. Reviews appreciated.**

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	5. The Plot

I do not own any of the normal NCIS characters

**I do not own any of the normal NCIS characters. **_**Just**_** Juliana Callister.**

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"_Do you think you can do that for me, Agent DiNozzo?"_

The question echoed in his mind.

"DiNozzo," Juliana said quietly. "Can you please answer the man who has a loaded gun to my head?" Her voice shook.

"Fine." DiNozzo said sharply and pulled the car over to the side of the road. "I'll call him." He said turning to Ari.

"That's a good boy." Ari smiled.

"On one condition." Tony demanded.

"Tony, don't do it." Juliana whispered.

"Let her go and take me." Tony said.

"Fine." Ari smiled and took the gun away from her head. "She can go."

Tony turned to Juliana.

"Go home, Juliana." Tony told her. His eyes were worried but loving. "Go home." He repeated and turned away.

"No, I'm not leaving you here with this damn crazy man! Who knows what he'll do." She cried. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You heard your _Senior_ agent, Juliana." Ari's voice was devious and cold.

She turned and tried to plead to Tony.

"Give me your gun, sweet heart. I don't want to have to worry about you trying to be a hero." Ari put his hand out.

Juliana turned to Tony looking for answers on his face, but he wouldn't look at her. "Give him your gun, Special Agent Callister."

She handed him all of her weapons and got out of the car. As they drove away, Ari rolled down the windows and shot his gun.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tony cried as he stopped the car and put it in reverse.

"Ah, don't do it." Ari ordered, putting his gun to the back of Tony's head. "Call Gibbs."

"You just shot her!" Tony yelled, looking at his rear-view mirror and seeing the motionless body of his partner.

"Oops." Ari smiled. "Call Gibbs."

Tony reached for his phone and dialed the number. As he waited for his boss to pick up, he drove away from where Juliana's body was.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He answered.

"Boss, meet me at the address McGee has for Ari." He said, his voice was cracking.

"I'm already ther-"

Tony hung up. _'I'm going to regret hanging up on him later.'_ He thought to himself.

"Throw your phone out the window." Ari ordered. "I don't want them to pull anything sneaky."

Tony did as he was told.

"And your gun." He smiled deviously.

He slowly grabbed his gun and threw it out the window as well.

"Good boy." Ari patted his head. "No wonder you're Gibbs' favorite."

They drove into the darkness, heading for the building where Ari had been 'seen'.

"McGee, did you get the location of Tony' cell?" Gibbs asked quickly.

"It must be off. I can't get a hit." McGee replied. "Something's wrong, Boss."

"I know," Gibbs agreed. "You stay down as much as possible when he gets here."

They sat in silence when suddenly Gibbs' phone rang.

'_Ziva David'_

"Yeah, Gibbs." He answered.

"Ari has Tony." Ziva cried.

"What? How do you know?" Gibbs asked, worried.

"He just called me. He told me that if I didn't come to our drop spot, he was going to kill him. The hospital won't let me out." Ziva cried.

"Don't worry, _we_ will get him this time." Gibbs' said sharply and hung up instantly.

"What are you getting out of this, Ari?" Tony asked, his voice full of anger.

"The satisfaction of knowing that Gibbs, as well as yourself, are dead." He Smiled waiting for a smart-ass comment from Tony.

"What did we do to you?" He asked. "I think I have a right to know since you are going to kill me and all."

"No reason, actually. Gibbs just makes my life so much more interesting." He laughed. "The chase, mainly."

"You're joking right?" Tony said sarcastically.

"What do you think?" He asked as he cocked his gun and put it tight against the back of Tony's head.

"Alright, I can see you're not one for answers." Tony teased.

"There they are." Ari confirmed. "This is what you're going to do," He continued. "You're going to take them into my apartment and_ not_ tell them a thing." He pointed out the window. "There are snipers outside so _don't_ try anything funny."

"Fine," He sighed.

"Oh, by the way, there is also a bomb attached to the apartment somewhere. So, one small slip up and…" He pulled out the remote and showed Tony. "Boom." He laughed.

"What took you so long, DiNozzo?" Gibbs demanded an answer as they headed inside the building.

"Traffic is all." Tony refused to look at Gibbs or he'd catch on.

"Ziva called and said that Ari had you held captive an-" McGee stopped himself.

"She was wrong." Tony said fiercly. "Do I look like I'm held captive, McGee?"

"I-I guess not…" McGee confirmed.

As they reached the apartment they searched every room. Gibbs could tell something was wrong. His famous gut was telling him so. He wanted to believe everything was fine but he couldn't.

"Something is not right." Gibbs whispered. "Ari was spotted here."

"Maybe he got a tip that we were coming." McGee said quietly.

Tony didn't say a word. Instead, he looked out the window for the snipers. He didn't see anyone out there.

"Tony," McGee called. "Where is Juliana? She left with you, didn't she?" He asked.

Tony didn't reply right away. _'Dead.' _He thought to himself but thought best not to tell them.

"She wasn't feeling well. Must have been something she ate." Tony replied, knowing it was a lie when suddenly he remembered that was what Kate said was wrong with her. He was hoping Ari didn't catch on.

"Sick." Gibbs repeated.

"Yeah," Tony confirmed. He knew Gibbs had caught on. He was relieved and looked at Gibbs for the first time since they got into the apartment building.

"I hope she feels better." McGee said interrupting the silence between Gibbs and Tony.

"What am I doing?" Tony said out loud. He knew what he had to do. "This is what is going on…" Tony quickly began to tell Gibbs what was going on. "Juliana was shot."

Their stomachs dropped. Gibbs looked at Tony and could see the pain in his eyes.

"Let's get out of here." Gibbs whispered.

Suddenly they heard a gun shot. They all jumped out of the room and covered their heads. They got up and ran outside of the building as quick as they could.

BOOOOOM

They fell to the ground as debris flew around them. Gibbs looked around at his agents to see if everyone was alright. Tony was doing the same. They both spotted McGee lying still on the ground. Gibbs got up and ran over to him. He had a deep cut on his head and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Tony asked.

"I'm fine." McGee confirmed.

They looked around to see what had happened in the direction of the gun shot.

Shocked at what they saw, they were speechless.

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**More coming later today, I think.**

**Reviews are appreciated.**

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	6. The Little Moments

**I do not own any characters other than Juliana.**

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"Juliana." Tony whispered.

She stood there with Tony's gun in her hand. She tossed it to him and smiled.

"An Agent should never be without a gun, DiNozzo." She joked and collapsed to the ground.

Tony grabbed his gun and put it back in his case. He got up and quickly ran over to her.

"How did you know where we were?" He asked as he took off his jacket and put it around her leg wound.

"I didn't." She smiled and the shooting pain broke it quickly.

"The EMS is on it's way." He said.

"Was tha-" McGee cut himself off.

"Yes, McGee. That was Ari." Gibbs walked back from the car with a slight smile on his face.

Tony, McGee and Gibbs looked at each other. Tony let out a chuckle and hugged Juliana.

"What, haven't you seen a chick rock a gun before?" She joked. They all started to laugh.

The EMS came and took all four of them to Bethesda.

* * *

A few days had passed since the _real_ death of Ari. Tony walked out of the elevator and went straight to his desk He began to pack his belongings when suddenly he felt a very familiar slap on the back of the head.

"What was that for?" Tony turned, Rubbing the back of his head and staring at Gibbs.

"Doing Spring cleaning, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"No, I'm packing my things. My flight leaves in two hours." Tony told his former boss.

"Where are you going?" Gibbs asked, knowing the answer but wanted the amusement.

"I was reassigned, Boss. Or did you forget that?" Tony asked. "I mean, you're not getting any younger, Gibbs." He joked and continued to pack his desk.

"Oh," Gibbs replied. "Did I forget to tell you? You're not going anywhere." He turned to his desk and grabbed his coffee. "Neither is McGee."

"W-what? But, I thought…" Tony was confused but excited at the same time.

"That's your problem, DiNozzo." Gibbs got up and walked over to Tony and whispered in his ear. "You shouldn't think. It's bad for _you_."

"TONY, TONY, TONY!" Abby screamed and ran over to him. Before he had time to react, she was attached to him. "You're not leaving!"

"That would have been nice to know twenty minutes ago, Abs." He smiled and hugged her back.

"Hey, McGee." He turned to McGee and walked over to the desk. "Where is Ziva?"

"She is temporarily suspended." He replied.

"Why?" Tony was confused.

"For protecting Ari," McGee wouldn't make eye contact with him.

"I see," Tony said quietly and walked to his desk beginning to unpack his belongings. Gibbs came walking out of the elevator, coffee in hand.

"Hey Boss," Tony said. "What happened with Juliana?"

Tony had remembered the last time he saw her. They were both in the hospital. Juliana had been taken to the O.R. While he was just being checked for any fatal wounds due to the explosion. The last thing he remembered about that night was seeing her look back and smile at him.

"She's taking some time off to get well and to take care of her little sister." Gibbs said quietly. He still tried to figure out where he had known her from.

"I see," Tony said calmly. _'She has a sister?'_

A few weeks had passed since Tony and McGee came back to 'The Gibbs Team' for good.

Tony was sitting at his desk with his feet on top of it, rubbing his neck.

"Did you miss me?"

"Ziva," Tony jumped out of his desk. "You're not supposed to be back for a few days."

"Yeah," Ziva replied. "I asked the director if I could come back early."

"Well, I-" Tony cut himself off before he said something he'd regret. "We missed you."

Ziva let out a slight laugh and began to rearrange her desk back to how she had it before Juliana became part of the team.

"So," Ziva said breaking the silence. "What was this _Juliana_ woman like?"

"She was nice." Tony said. "Oh, please. That is all you are going to tell me?" She asked impatiently.

"There's nothing else to say. She was here; she saved our lives, now she's gone." Tony said harshly. _'Which is more than I can say you did in that time'_ He said to himself.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ziva asked him.

Tony laughed and got up and walked away, shaking his head slightly.

"What did I do, McGee?" She turned to him, confused.

"I think Tony is a little upset over the fact that you hid Ari and didn't tell anyone." McGee wouldn't look at Ziva. "Or maybe it's the fact that you _knew_ that the man in Gibbs' basement wasn't really Ari."

"I had no choice," Ziva defended herself. "If I had told anyone he would have killed you all." She got up and stormed after Tony.

"Tony," She yelled from down the hall.

He stopped and turned to her.

"What?" he asked.

"We need to talk." She grabbed him and pulled him into Abby's lab. She looked around to see if Abby was there. When she realized she wasn't, she continued. "You have no right to be angry at me."

"I'm not the one who hid important information from my team." Tony yelled.

"You are right. You did not." Ziva agreed. Turning to him and pushing him against the wall. "But, the _only_ reason I did what I did was to protect you."

"Me? From what I heard, it was more along the lines of protecting yourself." Tony was angry.

"I did not try to protect myself. I did not want you to die." She cut herself off and went silent.

"Why? Why wouldn't you want me to die?" He retaliated. "Apparently, you keep important information from even me. I can see you keeping that from Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer and even Director Vance but, me Ziva?" His voice went soft.

"I know and I am truly sorry for keeping it from you. You have to understand why I did it, though." She placed a hand on his arm. "I did it so _you_ would not die."

"Instead, you almost got Gibbs killed." He pulled his arm away from her and walked toward the window. The memory of that monster trying to kill Abby came flying back. "Gibbs, Ziva. Gibbs! The one man in this world who would have done _anything_ for you. He trusted you, Ziva."

"I know. I will work things out with Gibbs." Ziva confirmed. "I know I messed up." She said softly as she turned away. "I just didn't want anything to happen to anyone."

"Ziva," Tony sighed and walked over to her. He placed a hand on the side of her face and wiped one small tear from her face. "I understand what you did and why you did it. I just don't understand why you didn't tell _me_. It's not important. What's important is that you're okay." He whispered and kissed her forehead. She pulled herself into him and began to weep.

"Um," Abby came into her lab and saw them. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked raising an eyebrow, trying to hide her smile.

"No," Tony said quickly as he pulled away from her. "I was just.." He couldn't think of an excuse to tell her. Instead, he just walked out of the lab. Leaving Abby and Ziva.

Abby turned to Ziva.

"That wasn't very Tony like…" She said. "What was that about?"

"Just as he said," she said as she wiped her tear stained cheeks. "It was nothing." Disappointed with the words that just came out of her mouth. _'Nothing.'_ She repeated to herself.

"Alright, If you say so." Abby turned to her computer and began to work.

Ziva left the lab. She wanted so badly to go talk to Tony but, she decided against it and went back to working on their current case.

* * *

**This chapter wasn't the best but, it'll get better. :) **

Reviews are appreciated.

**Thank you to all of you who are actually reading this and leaving reviews. I really appreciate it.**

* * *


	7. The Letter

_**Blah, Blah. I do not own any NCIS characters except for Juliana and Lily.**_

* * *

Weeks had past since the excitement had happened with Gibbs' team. The anger toward Ziva had subsided by this time. Nobody ever spoke to her about it except for Tony. She decided just to let it be.

* * *

Tony, Ziva, McGee and Gibbs were quietly sitting at their desks catching up on paperwork that they had avoided since the news of Ari's survival. The rest of the office seemed almost as though they were on '_fast forward_' mode while they were on _slow motion_. Tony didn't know what to do to pass the time quicker. Their last case had been a week ago.

Tony got up to stretch his legs when suddenly something had latched itself to his leg. He was stuck in mid-stretch, refusing to move. He looked at McGee for some sort of sign. McGee was surprised and confused. He slowly looked down to find a little girl grabbing his leg. His eyes widened and looked at Gibbs for advice. Gibbs smiled and shook his head.

Tony looked behind him to find Juliana with her arms crossed and a grin plastered to her face.

"I'm guessing this belongs to you?" He asked. The look on his face was enough to make McGee and Ziva bust out laughing.

"I do not think she has cooties, Tony." Ziva said with a chuckle.

"I was told that women of all ages are attracted to you, Special Agent DiNozzo." Juliana said as she laughed, pulling the little girl from his leg.

"Well," Tony continued as he quickly moved away from the child. "I..I guess."

Juliana laughed as she fixed the shirt of the little girl.

"I'd like you all to meet my little sister, Lily." She kneeled down to Lily's height. "Say Hi, Lily."

"Hi." The little redheaded girl said shyly as she studied the faces of Juliana's ex co-workers.

"Hello, Lily." Ziva said as she handed her a sucker. "She can have this right?" Ziva asked.

"Of course." Juliana confirmed as she stood up and moved her little sister's hair from her face.

"So," Tony began to speak but wasn't sure how to ask. "Do your parents know you brought your little sister to an agency that is constantly dealing with dea-"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs cut him off and gave him one of his classic Gibbs glares.

"Sort of," Juliana replied. "Lily, why don't you go over there and color a pretty picture for Agent DiNozzo."

Lily looked excitedly and ran over to an empty table and pulled out a coloring book and many multi-colored markers.

"Why did she latch onto me?" Tony asked.

"I told her too." She laughed as she reached into her purse to retrieve a letter.

"Ah," Tony said, gently throwing his head back.

"Gibbs, can we talk somewhere more…private?" Juliana asked as she walked over to his desk.

"Of course," He replied, taking her to his personal conference room. He stepped into the elevator and waited for her to join him. The first few moments were silent.

"So, do you want to tell me why you brought your sister into NCIS?" He asked, turning to her.

"Yeah," She wasn't sure what to say next. "About that," she continued.

"Today would be nice, Juliana." Gibbs said eagerly as he crossed his arms.

"My…Our mother wanted me to give this to you." Juliana handed Gibbs an unsealed letter that had clearly been read many times.

"Your mother? Why?" Gibbs asked as he turned the letter over to take it out of it's slightly marker stained envelope.

Juliana didn't reply. Gibbs could tell it was something important.

Gibbs began to read the letter. His expression went from irritated to shocked. The bright eyed, 20-something year old that he had come to respect had almost been in tears.

Gibbs slowly slid to the floor and continued to read the letter.

* * *

**There will be a few more chapters add today. So, sit tight. **

**Reviews are appreciated.**

* * *


	8. The Talk

_**I only own Juliana and Lily. I'm not claiming credit for the NCIS characters.**_

* * *

Gibbs slowly slid to the floor and continued to read the letter_._

_Dear Jethro,_

_If you are reading this, I'm no longer alive. As I'm sure you've figured out by now. _

_This letter was very difficult for me to write._

_I'm sure you remember our trip to Paris. The night we spent 'together' was the best night of my life. As well as life changing, in more ways than one. _

_Shortly after we returned home from Paris, I began feeling ill. I soon found out I was pregnant. _

_You're probably wondering why I never told you. The answer is simple, I didn't want you to feel obligated to do anything. At the time, you didn't seem like the 'father-type'. Though, after I became your boss, I soon discovered was very wrong. The reason I didn't tell you after learning about your first wife and daughter was simply because I figured the news would be too much for you. _

_I hope that you can forgive me. Lily is a beautiful little girl. She has your smile. _

_I regret not telling you how much I loved you. You were my best friend and meant so much more to me than I could ever tell you. _

_Please don't feel like you are trapped. If you wish to be apart of Lily's life, that's wonderful._

_I arranged for my eldest daughter to be apart of your team one way or another. Even if it was acting as though she would become Abby's assistant. I wanted her to decide whether or not you were ready to know the truth. _

_Take care, Jethro. _

_I'll Always Love You,_

_Jenny_

Gibbs could barely finish the letter. By the time he had finished it, Juliana had been sitting across from him, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs." Juliana whispered.

Gibbs didn't say anything. He stood up, gathered himself, and extended his hand to help Juliana up.

"Gibbs," Juliana began to speak as she tried to make herself look as normal as possible. "I know this is difficu-"

"Why didn't she say anything to me about you? Why didn't _you_ tell me who you were?" Gibbs scorned.

"I didn't say anything to you because I knew it was a difficult time for your team." She replied quietly.

"It was just as difficult for you." He said calmly.

"It was. My mom was amazing. Or, at least, from what I heard." She said quietly as she turned away.

"What?" Gibbs asked quickly.

"I don't think talking about this in an _elevator_ is going to be a good thing." She replied with a now familiar smile on her face. "People are going to start talking." She playfully whispered as she gently nudged him and laughed.

Gibbs didn't say anything. He turned around and flicked the elevator switch back on. He quickly turned his smile into his normal, stern facial expression as the elevator stopped.

When the doors opened, they weren't surprised that the entire team had been trying to listen to the conversation. Tony quickly got up from the floor where he had been pressing his ear against the elevator doors.

"Is everything alright, Boss?" He asked, hoping he wouldn't be smacked.

"Last I checked, DiNozzo," Gibbs started to say as he headed toward their work area "You don't get paid to eavesdrop."

"C'mon, Lily," She said quietly as she watched Gibbs. "Let's go home."

"Wait," The little girl cried. "I need to give everyone something." She quickly ran over to Tony's desk. "This is for you, Special Agent Di…"

"Tony," He said with a friendly smile as he took the brightly colored picture from the little girl. "Thank you, I'll put it right here." He taped it up on his filing cabinet and turned to Lily, smiling she turned to Ziva's desk.

"This is for you," She said as she handed Ziva her picture.

"Thank you, Lily." Ziva replied as she took the picture from the little girl.

"I only had time to color one more," Lily said quietly and turned to Gibbs. "Here." She said as she handed him a brightly colored picture of a sail boat in the ocean. "My mommy told me that you liked boats a lot."

Gibbs took the picture and smiled. "Thank you, Lily. I do love boats."

"She said that you build them in your basement," Lily said. "How do you get it out?" She looked at him confused.

He didn't reply, he just let out a quiet chuckle.

"Special Agent McGee," Lily turned and ran over to his desk. "I'm sorry I didn't get to color you a picture."

"It's alright, Lily," McGee said as he looked over at Juliana and smiled.

"Alright, Lily, We should be getting home." Juliana said as she searched Gibbs' face for some sort of sign to stay. "Say bye."

"Bye." Lily waved to everyone as she skipped to the elevator. Her red hair bounced around with each skip as the entered the elevator. She waved to everyone again as the doors closed. Juliana looked at Gibbs and gave him a half-hearted smile.

"So, what'd she want to talk to you about, Boss?" Tony asked as he flashed his normally heart melting smile. "You two were in there for a long time."

"Work, DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered.

"Right, Boss." DiNozzo replied.

* * *

"Lily," Juliana called "Dinner is ready."

"Coming, Jules." Lily replied.

Juliana returned to the kitchen. The radio was blasting and she began to sing one of her favorite songs.

_So close together, and when I'm with you._

_So close to feeling alive._

"Uh, Jules…"

She quickly turned to find Lily accompanied by Tony.

Tony was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and his eyebrow raised. He wasn't in his normal work clothes. He was wearing a nice pair of blue jeans and a black button down with a white tank top under it. It took her by surprise to see him.

"Oh," she quickly gathered herself, putting down the spatula she was using as a microphone. "I didn't even hear the doorbell."

"He didn't ring it!" Lily said with a laugh and went to her dinner plate. "This looks yummy, Jules."

"Well, eat it all this time." Juliana teased. Turning to Tony, she offered him a plate.

"Of course," He took the plate and sat down, eyeballing her as she resided next to him and Lily.

"What?" She asked as she put food on her fork.

"Nothing," He said with a smile and returned to eating.

During dinner, it was silent. It was awkward to see him outside of work. _'Why is he here?'_ She asked herself as she briefly glanced at him, trying to read his face. Though, just as Gibbs, it was difficult.

"If you want more…" She motioned to the counter top full of her home cooked food.

"No thanks," He said as he began to get up to put the plate in the sink. "I'm actually full." He joked.

"Here," she said politely as she took all of their plates. "Lil, why don't you go put your bathing suit on and go swimming."

"Okay!" She said excitedly as she ran upstairs.

"She's a good kid." He said as he watched her little legs run up the stairs. "You did a good job with her."

"Thanks," She replied with a smile as she dried off her hands. "But, it wasn't all _me_." Her smiled slowly faded. "Our mother had a lot to do with that."

"What was your mom like?" Tony asked hesitantly. Her answer didn't come quickly. As Lily had ran past. She didn't want to get her upset.

"Let's go outside." She said quietly and motioned for him to follow her. She didn't want to tell him who her mother was but, she knew it was time for her family secret to come out to everyone. Not _just_ Gibbs. "We really do need to talk, Tony."

"Oh No." He replied as he followed her into an area covered in shade. "Did I do something wrong?" He whispered to her with the look of a scorned child.

Juliana didn't reply. She just shook her head, smiled, and let out a quiet laugh.

* * *

_**I've seemed to have lost readers since I added this new character. Please know, it will start getting more interesting very soon. I'm hoping to add about 5 more chapters, so bare with me.**_

_**Reviews are appreciated.**_


	9. Let Go

**SO CLOSE**

_Chapter 9_

"Let Go"

by Jes

(Angexaime/Soclose.email)

_**The only chacters in this story that I own are: JULIANA and LILY**_

_NONE of the NCIS "normal" characters are owned by ME._

_**Brace yourselves, I will be doing some drama between Tony, Ziva, and Juliana very soon.**_

* * *

"So," Tony began to search for the right words to ask. "What is it that you want to tell me?"

"You wanted to know about my mother," She replied reminding him of his original question.

Tony raised an eyebrow, not saying a word. He leaned forward as he could tell she didn't want Lily to over hear their conversation.

"My mother was a very powerful, intelligent, and brave woman." Juliana reached into her pocket and pulled out a small picture. "She did anything she could to protect the ones she loved. Including Lily and I but, you already knew how protective she was."

"What do you mean?" Tony's curiosity got the best of him.

Juliana let out a sigh and slowly placed the picture on the table and moved it toward him, giving him permission to look at it.

Tony gently picked up the picture. His expression went from semi-excited to hear the story about this amazing woman that she had very seldom spoken about to shocked and saddened to find out who her mother was. "Jen." He whispered as he sat back in the chair.

"Yes, Tony." Juliana replied. "My mother is Jen Shepard." She searched his face for a sign saying it was alright to go on with her story.

"She never said she had any children." His voice was barely a whisper. His eyes were saddened by the double-life his former Director _and_ friend led.

"She didn't want to, Tony. I'm sure you can understand that."

There was an awkward silence before Tony replied.

"No, I really can't." His voice became angry. "Why wouldn't she have told us?"

"After the mission with Gibbs in Paris, she knew that I would be at risk when and _if_ that woman that she didn't kill came back. At that point, I was about fourteen years old. She arranged for me to live with an old friend of hers. She'd come and see me as often as she could. Then," Her voice started to crack. "She found out she was pregnant with Lily. So, she did the same to protect her. I basically raised her."

"What about your dad?" He asked.

"I never knew my dad. My mom said that she told him she was pregnant but, because he was so young at the time, he got scared and ran. She never saw him after that." Juliana hated talking about her father and Tony could tell.

"How soon after Paris did all this take place?" He asked, confused.

"The moving took place almost immediately after she got home, as for the birth of Lily, about eight months or so." She looked at Tony, her sky blue eyes filling with tears.

"Damn," Tony whispered. "Does that mea-"

"Yes, Gibbs is Lily's daddy." She replied with a slight chuckle, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Juliana." He said as he reached over and gently put his hand on hers. His eyes suddenly filled with pain. "I should have listened to Ziva that day…" He cut himself off and looked to the ground, hanging his head in shame. "It's my fault."

"Tony," She quickly looked at him and took her hand away and stood up.

"I understand if you hate me." He replied and stood up with her. He looked into her eyes as they filled with tears.

She glared at him angrily and slapped him across the face.

"Don't you _ever_ blame yourself for what happened, DiNozzo." Her voice was weak and her body began to shake. "If you and Ziva would have gone with her there would have been more blood spilt than necessary." Her voice was even weaker than before, her body shaking uncontrollably. She suddenly fell to the ground.

"Shhh," He tried to calm her as he instantly went down beside her, taking her into his strong arms. She wasn't used to having people _want_ to be there for her when she needed someone. She wrapped her arms around his waste and buried her face into his chest and cried harder than ever before.

"She's gone, Tony." She sobbed. "My mother is dead."

Tony fell to her side, trying to stop himself from crying. The words _'She's gone'_ haunted him as he held Juliana.

"Jules," Lily walked up to her big sister and looked worried. "Are you okay?"

The voice of her little sister brought her back to reality. "Yes, sweetie I'm fine. Why don't you…" She looked at her cell phone for the time. "Wow, you need to get ready for bed. It's nearly 9pm and you have to go to Mrs. Baker's house in the morning and help decorate for Suzie's birthday party."

Lily smiled and ran upstairs to get ready for bed. Juliana tried to catch her breath as best she could when Tony gently placed his hand on the side of her face and wiped her tear stained cheeks with his thumb and flashed a smile at her. "Everything is going to be alright, Jules." He took her into his arms and hugged her one last time before they got up and walked into the house.

After Juliana got Lily settled in bed, she came back downstairs to find Tony passed out on her couch. She shook her head and laughed as she gently covered him up. She stared at his sleeping body, "Good night, Tony." She whispered as she kissed him gently on the forehead.

The news of Jen's daughters quickly began to soar through the NCIS office. Everyone had loved Jen and wanted to know her daughters. Though, nobody actually knew _who_ they were. Except for Gibbs' team, that is.

* * *

"Good morning, Tony." Ziva greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Zee-vah." He replied.

"Did you have a nice weekend? I tried to call you on Friday but I did not get an answer." She said in a concerned tone.

"I had a busy weekend." Tony said with a devious smile upon his face.

"Ahh, I see." Ziva's eyes got wide. "How many girls this weekend?" She joked.

"Two."

"DiNozzo, elevator. Now." Gibbs called as he walked past him quickly.

Tony looked at Ziva confused.

"Did I do something?" He whispered to his partner.

Ziva didn't have time to reply before the doors were closing behind him.

* * *

"What's up, Boss?" Tony asked.

"I want someone to stay with Juliana and Lily around the clock." Gibbs said bluntly.

"Why?" He asked.

"There was a letter sent to Director Vance a few days ago." Gibbs began to tell Tony. "It just said _'She's next'._" His eyes were worried. "I don't know _who_ it is, but I have a feeling it may be her or…" He quickly turned away and flicked the elevator back on. "I want you and Ziva to stay with her. Ziva can take the night shift and watch from outside. If she goes with you to stay, Juliana will know something is going on."

"I'm on it, Boss." Tony said quickly as he headed toward his desk to gather his belongings.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs called as he walked up to him and whispered in his ear. "Keep your eyes open and _don't_ let her out of your sight. Either of them." He squeezed Tony's shoulder as hard as he could, causing him to squirm in discomfort. "David, you're with Tony. He'll explain everything on the way." Gibbs sat at his desk, calling McGee to his desk.

* * *

As Tony and Ziva headed to the parking lot, Tony explained to Ziva what was going on. She understood her position but she didn't like the idea of sitting out in a car while he was inside.

"Wait, we need to take separate cars. She'll now something's up." Tony suggested.

"Fine," She said bluntly. "You can take this one. I'll follow you."

"Uh, alright." Tony didn't quite understand why she was acting so strange. "What's wrong, Ziva?"

"Nothing," She said quickly.

"Bull, tell me." Tony ordered.

"I just—"She paused and walked over to him. "I do not really like the idea of you being alone in a house with her when something could happen at any moment. We have already lost Jen and I do not want to see anything happen to you." Ziva wanted to take her words back, but she couldn't.

"Oh, really?" Tony raised his eyebrow and flashed her his infamous flirty smile.

"Yes, really." Ziva walked up to him. She was so close that he was pushed up against the car. Their lips nearly touching. "Just go protect Hero Bambi."

"Barbie, Ziva, Hero Barbie. Bambi was a cut little Disney character deer." Tony laughed and got into his car. After he watched Ziva to see if she was ready to go, they left.

'_I'm not going to fuck this one up. I can't lose anyone friends.'_ He said to himself as he drove down the road to her house. His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

"DiNozzo." Tony answered.

"Tony! It's Lily," Her voice was shaky and scared.

"What's the matter?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. I came back from a birthday party and found Jules laying on the kitchen floor. She won't wake up, Tony! I'm scareddddd!!" Lily began to cry. "Tony come be her superman and save her!!" She cried harder.

"Lily, settle down, I'm in your driveway." Tony hung up and ran inside.

He quickly made Lily go to back to the party and tell them that everything is going to be alright.

He kneeled down next to his friend. "Juliana?" He gently touched her face to remove some of the tomato sauce that was spilt on her face. "Can you hear me? It's Tony."

Ziva came running inside.

"What is it?" Ziva asked, panting.

Tony just looked up at her, his eyes were filled with worry.

* * *

**The Story should be picking up a lot quicker now. I just had to have a little bit of the "personal relationships" added in there. Things will get better and I'd really like to get some more reviews. **

_**Suggestions are always helpful. You can contact me on AIM or MSN. My info is in my profile. **_

* * *


	10. The End is Near

_**I don't own the NCIS characters. Only Juliana and Lily.**_

* * *

"Her pulse is weak." Tony told Ziva as he felt Juliana's neck for a sign that she was still alive. "Call 9-1-1." He demanded.

Ziva jumped at the tone in his voice and dialed the number.

"C'mon Jules. You're going to be fine." He whispered as he searched for a wound.

"The ambulance is on their way." Ziva said quickly as she kneeled down next to Tony.

There was no reply. Ziva could tell that Tony was scared and, once again, blamed himself for not getting to her house quick enough. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the ringing of Tony's cell. It was Gibbs. He didn't want to answer but he knew he had to.

"DiNozzo." Tony said quietly.

"I'm on my way." Gibbs said bluntly. "What happened?"

"I don't know." Tony replied.

"What do you _mean_ you don't know? Find out what happened, DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked and hung up.

Tony sighed as he hung up.

"I had to call him, Tony." Ziva said carefully. Tony shot her a look that told her to stop talking.

The ambulance came only moments after Ziva made the phone call.

"Ziva, go with them. I'll wait for Gibbs." Tony's voice was soft but stern.

"Tony, I am no-" Ziva was cut off as Tony gently put his finger on her lips, keeping her from speaking.

"If someone _is_ after her and Lily, I'm not putting you at risk. Please, just go." He whispered and gently kissed her cheek. She stared into his eyes and could tell that at that particular moment she shouldn't argue with him. Something in his eyes told her to trust his judgment.

"Fine," She looked behind him to find Gibbs busting through the front door. "Be careful." She said quietly as she walked away.

* * *

After hours of searching her home for hard evidence, Tony was exhausted. His mind was everywhere it shouldn't be. He began to ask himself questions that had nothing to do with finding who did this to his once _'temporary'_ partner and he hated himself for it. He was tired and Gibbs could tell.

"Where is Lily?" Gibbs asked causing Tony to jump.

"She's uh…" Tony paused trying to remember where she was when he was smacked on the back of the head. "She's at the neighbor's house."

"Go get her. She's going back to NCIS with us." Gibbs barked loudly.

"On it, boss." He replied and headed out the door. As he approached the house where Lily had been staying, his phone rang. It was Ziva. "DiNozzo," He answered.

"Tony," Ziva's voice was soft

"What?" Tony replied as he walked up to the dimly lit house.

"She is dead." Ziva hated to be the one to tell him but she had no choice. She thought it would be better for her to tell him than some doctor using terms she knew he wouldn't be able to understand. "I am so sorry."

Tony didn't reply. Even though he had a feeling she wasn't going to make it, the news broke his heart. He didn't have feelings for her like he had for other women he had met but there had been something about her that he couldn't resist. Her charm and independence had intrigued him. The way she didn't have a _real_ 20-something year olds life. He remembered the last time he had seen her and suddenly remembered Lily. _'How do I tell an eight year old her sister is dead?' _ He sighed and continued to do what his boss had ordered.

"Tony," A lady in a pink robe had answered the door.

"I'm sorry to wake you but I need to take Lily with me." Tony was trying to fight back his tears.

"Don't tell me…" She could tell from his eyes that something was very wrong.

"She didn't make it," Tony could barely get the words to form when suddenly Lily came walking down the stairs. It was clear that she had heard him tell the woman that her sister was dead. "Lily," His voice filled with concern as he walked over to the little girl. As she wept into his chest, Gibbs walked up. They didn't say anything to each other.

* * *

Hours later, Ducky had finished Juliana's autopsy. The atmosphere wasn't as heartbreaking as the death of Kate or Jen but it was still filled with the sadness that the entire team had gotten so used to.

"Hey Ducky," The silence in the room had been broken when Tony had walked in.

"Tony, I just finished the Autopsy." He wasn't sure if he should comfort him or keep their conversation strictly about the current case.

"I am sure she would have appreciated you doing it, Ducky." Ziva said as she entered the room. "What did you find?"

"Well," Ducky walked over to Juliana's lifeless body and showed them a mark on her neck. "This mark shows that she had been bitten by something. I'm assuming it was a spider bite."

"A spider was the cause of her death?" Tony finally spoke, his eyes didn't leave her face.

"Yes, a Brown Recluse to be exact." Ducky continued explaining how the spider bite killed her so suddenly but Tony wasn't listening. He was lost in his own thoughts once again.

"She was defiantly beautiful," Ziva said cautiously as she searched Tony's face for a sign of emotion.

"Indeed she was," Ducky agreed. "She looked so much like her mother." He could tell that Tony wanted to say good-bye. "Ziva, why don't you go let Gibbs know. I need to take some of her belongings to Abby." The two of them left the room leaving Tony alone.

"I'm so sorry, Jules." Tony whispered. "I should have been there sooner than I was. I just-" He paused and put his hand on the side of her cold cheek. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll make sure Lily is taken care of." He leaned over and kissed her forehead and quickly turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

Days had passed since Juliana's death and the team had been almost sluggish. Ziva and McGee tried to work as normal as possible to keep Gibbs and Tony's mind off of her death. Though, it was impossible. They both cared deeply about her.

"Boss," Tony said as he walked up to his desk. Gibbs looked up at him giving him permission to speak. "What's going to happen to Lily?" The words almost stung his heart. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling. The little girl had lost so much in her short life, how was she going to deal with being a total orphan?

Gibbs didn't get the chance to answer before Director Vance called him to his office. Tony turned to Ziva and motioned for her to go to the elevator.

"Tony, if you need to talk I will listen." Ziva gently touched his arm. "I know that you cared about her."

"I did care about her." Tony admitted. "She was a great person. Though," Tony continued "The night I stayed at her house, she made me realize that life is too short to just sit around and hope things go the way you had pictured." He turned to Ziva and took her hands in his. "She made me realize something that night,"

"What was that?" She asked, her stomach was in knots but she refused to show it.

"That the only person in this world that I want," He got close to her face and turned to her hear and whispered "…is you." He kissed the side of her face, afraid of what her reaction would be.

Ziva didn't reply, she turned quickly and turned the elevator back on. She quickly got out of the elevator and went to her desk to continue working. Tony followed behind her and tried to read her but he had no luck.

* * *

Later that day, the team had been drained of their energy and wanted to go home. McGee had already packed up his belongings for the night and was ready to leave. Abby, Ducky and Palmer had already left and Ziva wasn't far behind them. Tony wanted to stay and talk to Gibbs before he left. Gibbs, however, had been gone for nearly the entire day which wasn't like him at all.

"See you tomorrow, guys." McGee said as he headed toward the elevator. Ziva sat at her desk and watched Tony as he continued to work.

"Tony," Ziva said as she got up from her desk and approached his.

"Yeah?" He stopped working and answered her quickly, almost as though he had been hoping she would be the first one to speak since his awkward confession in the elevator only hours before.

"I am sorry about how I acted earlier," She sat on the corner of his desk and frowned. "I did not mean to react that way. You just…" She searched for the right words "Surprised me."

"It's fine, Zee-vah. I understand that you don't want to get involved with a co-worker." Tony flashed a smile trying to hide the fact that he wasn't used to being rejected.

"I never said that." Ziva smiled as she got closer and leaned over and kissed him passionately. Tony was shocked and kissed her in return.

"Does this mean that…" He was cut off when she put her hand against his lips.

"I want you too, Tony." She smiled and kissed him again.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. They were lost in the moment but soon realized they were still at work and quickly pulled away from each other.

"Dinner?" He asked as he touched her leg gently.

"Yes," She smiled and walked to her desk. "I will see you later tonight." She tried to hide her excitement as she walked to the elevator.

Only moments after Ziva left, Gibbs walked out of the elevator with a familiar red head.

Tony was confused and couldn't resist asking him what he was doing with Lily.

"Boss, what is Lily doing here?" He smiled at her as she ran over to him and gave Tony the biggest hug he had ever gotten from an eight year old.

"She's going home." He said softly as he returned his badge and gun to his desk drawer.

"Home?" He asked as Lily sat on his lap.

"Yes, DiNozzo. What kind of father would I be if I abandoned my little girl?" He smiled and took Lily's hand. Leaving Tony in shock as the elevator doors shut behind them.

Tony let out a small laugh with a sigh of relief. "She's going home." He repeated while he stood and headed toward the elevator only minutes after Gibbs had left with his daughter. "I told you she'd be safe, Juliana." Tony looked up and smiled as the elevator closed.

* * *

_**The End.**_

* * *

_**Thank you to all of my supporters. I know there wasn't very many "Tiva" moments but I wasn't writing this as a huge romance story. I wrote it as a new chapter in their lives. Which, involved new characters. I'm sorry to those of you who didn't like Juliana and Tony's relationship and were disappointed with my story. **_

_**Thanks again and happy reading. :)  
**_


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